Sonny With A Chance
| picture_format = 480i (SDTV), 720p (HDTV) | language = English | status = Cancelled | network = Disney Channel | first_aired = February 8, 2009 | last_aired = January 2, 2011 | num_seasons = 2 | num_episodes = 46 | list_episodes = List of Sonny With a Chance episodes | preceded_by = | followed_by = | website = http://tv.disney.go.com/disneychannel/sonnywithachance/index.html }} Sonny With a Chance is a Disney Channel original comedy series created by Steve Marmel which follows the experiences of fictional teenager Sonny Munroe, who becomes the new cast member of a live comedy show, So Random!. The series debuted on February 8, 2009 in the US. The series premiered on May 29, 2009 on Disney Channel (Latin America). It was announced in June 2009 that the show has been picked up for a second season, that will be filming in November 2009, already confirmed by Tiffany Thornton in her Twitter account. This is the first Disney Channel Original Series to be shot/aired in High Definition from the beginning; but like most of Disney Channel's sitcoms, it is shot on tape, but utilizes a 'filmized' appearance. Disney Channel had originally renewed the series for a third season in November 2010, but Lovato's role was at an uncertainty at the time after she checked into treatment for personal struggles two weeks prior. Production of the third season commenced without Lovato in January 2011, focusing on the So Random! aspect rather than behind the scenes. In April 2011, Disney Channel confirmed that Lovato would not be returning to the series' lead role and Sonny with a Chance would not return, choosing instead to rebrand the already-filmed third season as a spin-off titled So Random!. The spin-off aired for a single season before being cancelled. Premise The series centers on character Sonny Munroe (Demi Lovato), who moves with her mother from a small town in Middleton, Wisconsin to Hollywood, California after being cast in a fictional sketch comedy titled So Random!. The series follows Sonny's first experiences with acting and stardom, such as creating sketches, maintaining a positive image in the media, and getting along with her cast mates. Sonny is referred to as the "nice girl" and gets along well with executive producer Marshall (Michael Kostroff), as well as most of the cast. She maintains a frenemy relationship with Tawni (Tiffany Thornton), her dressing room mate who dislikes sharing the spotlight with Sonny, often conceding to Tawni's spoiled nature in order to keep the peace. Sonny also tried to play peacemaker in the long standing feud between the cast of So Random! and the cast of MacKenzie Falls, a popular teen drama show starring Chad Dylan Cooper (Sterling Knight) which shoots in the adjoining studio. (So Random is shot in Studio 3 and MacKenzie falls is shot in Studio 2)http://blog.newsok.com/television/2008/11/11/great-news-for-facts-of-life-fans/ [http://businessofcinema.com/news.php?newsid=8414 Disney announces new comedy series Welcome To Mollywood] Production The original name for the main character was Molly Monroe, and the show was originally named Welcome to Mollywood. The main character's name was later changed to Sonny Munroe, and the show's title was changed to Sonny with a Chance. Sonny With a Chance has a show-within-a-show, So Random!, complete with fully-produced comedy sketches. Sonny With a Chance's executive producer Brian Robbins previously wrote for and served as an executive producer on the real-life kids sketch comedy series All That for Nickelodeon. Gary Marsh, president of entertainment, Disney Channel Worldwide, stated "This series is rooted in one of the core thematic attributes that we stand for, which is following your dream, there also was the opportunity to do a hybrid show." The show began production on September 19, 2008 in NBC Studios Stage 11, which was previously the studio of NBC's medical drama, ER. A DVD called "Sonny's Big Break" will be released on August 25, 2009 with a bonus episode, "Sonny in the Middle. Characters Main Characters *'Allison "Sonny" Munroe' (Demi Lovato): The newest member of So Random!, she is from Middleton, Wisconsin. In the first episode, when Sonny was called in to be on So Random!, she might have taken the job of the former cast member Mandy, who has been only mentioned once in the first episode. Friendly and caring towards those around her, she is known as the nice girl of the group and does her best to help other people with their problems and achieve her dreams, earning mixed results. Sonny is friends with Nico, Grady, Zora and occasionally Tawni. She also has a love/hate relationship with Chad Dylan Cooper, But as she gets to know him better she starts to develop a major crush on him. However, she is in constant denial about it to everyone and tries to keep it a secret. As seen in further episodes, all of her co-stars are very fond of her. She does not appear in So Random!, due to Lovato's departure *'Tawni Hart' (Tiffany Thornton): A spoiled, manipulative and bratty cast member of So Random!, Tawni is obsessed with fashion, her looks, and her style and hair. She becomes upset if she does not get her way. Although she dislikes Sonny at first because she doesn't want to share her spotlight, she later accepts her even though their conflicting personalities occasionally cause disagreements. Tawni is the only person who knows Chad likes Sonny. Despite their rocky beginnings, she has since begun to care about Sonny as a friend, and is often seen giving her advice. *'Chad Dylan Cooper' (Sterling Knight): The teen heartthrob of Tween Weekly and MacKenzie Falls, as well as the enemy of Sonny and the cast of So Random!. Chad is mostly very self-centered, but at times can be sweet and kind. Though most people accuse him of being a jerk, other people think of him as cute and popular. He has a love/hate relationship with Sonny, but eventually develops a major crush on her. However, he always tries to keep it a secret. *'Nico Harris' (Brandon Mychal Smith): One of the primary cast members of So Random!, Nico is Grady's best friend and they always do wacky things together. He always comes up with ideas that later turn crazy as they should be. Nico tries to impress girls in unique ways but always messes up. Both him and Grady are barely ever seen apart, since they are best friends. *'Grady Mitchell' (Doug Brochu): A cast member of So Random!, Grady is best friends with Nico. He is also wacky and always eager to eat. Together, he and Nico hatch plans such as making money by selling the other cast members' trash on the Internet. On the Disney Channel site, it says that he is from Orlando, Florida. *'Zora Lancaster' (Allisyn Ashley Arm): The youngest cast member of So Random! at 11 years old, Zora has a genius IQ and is the smartest member of the group. The cast of So Random! thinks Zora is "the weird one" but she thinks Sonny is weirder than her. Zora has a quirky personality and always seems to be up to a something suspicious. Zora, Tawni and Sonny all share one room but Zora prefers to hide up in the air vent. Recurring Stars *'Connie Munroe' (Nancy McKeon) is Sonny's mother. She is a bit strange, but gives good advice and cares a lot for Sonny, always wanting the best for her and is very supportive. She is happy that Sonny is on the show, but wants her to keep her priorities in order and keep her school work satisfactory. For coincidence, the name of Demi Lovato (Sonny)'s mother in Camp Rock is also named Connie. *'Marshall Pike' (Michael Kostroff) is the executive producer of So Random! and MacKenzie Falls who tries to act cool, making him appear to be the opposite. He lives with his mother. He has a crush on Ms. Bitterman. In the episode "The Heartbreak Kids", he and Ms. Bitterman start a relationship. *'Portlyn' (Jillian Murray) is a cast member of MacKenzie Falls. She is the on-screen love interest of Chad Dylan Cooper, and plays a character by the same name on MacKenzie Falls. Portlyn is also shown to be a little dumb at times. She always wears the MacKenzie Falls cast uniform. *'Joy Bitterman'Ms. Joy Bitterman on nametag shown in "Cheater Girls" when grading Sonny and Tawni's tests, end credited as Mrs. Bitterman. (Vicki Lewis) is the teacher for the cast of So Random!, whose last name reflects her personality. She claims she has not laughed since she left the Navy, which may explain why she is so tense and bitter. She lives alone with her 16 cats. In the episode "The Heartbreak Kids", Sonny sets her up with Marshall, and they start a relationship. She practices scowling in the mirror. *'Murphy' (Steve Hytner) is the offbeat security guard who takes his job a little too seriously and eats Nico and Grady's pizzas. Guest Stars *'Santiago Geraldo' (Rich Ceraulo) is an interviewer for Tween Weekly TV. He also blogs for The Scoop section at Tween Weekly Online. *'Sharona' (Elisa Donovan) is a mean celebrity blogger for her blog called "Sharona Knows". She also blogs for the Tween Style section at Tween Weekly Online. She hates other people wearing what she is, has an odd habit of typing with a pencil, and was parodied on So Random as the Wicked Witch of the Web. Parody of (Perez Hilton). *'Monké' (Lily Holleman) is Sharona's assistant. She is apparently scared of Sharona. Sharona calls her "Monkey". The only reason Sharona needs Monké is to get her lattes. *'Josh' (Brent Tarnol) is the postman for the cast of So Random!. He helps Chad train for a movie role as a mailman in the episode "You've Got Fan Mail". *'James Conroy' (Kelly Blatz) is a suave MacKenzie Falls guest star and Tawni Hart's ex-boyfriend. He also asked out Sonny in the episode "With a Chance of Dating" which made Chad jealous. Sonny also "fake kissed" Chad in this episode when she realized what a jerk James was. He is shown to be smooth but more of a "dumper". *'Dakota Condor' (G. Hannelius) is a bratty little girl and she is obsessed with Chad Dylan Cooper. She is the daughter of Mr. Condor; when Zora was first on the show she encountered the same problem with her so she tells Sonny that she is evil while riding her scooter on the set of MacKenzie falls. She acts really sweet in front of her dad and when her dad is gone, she is back to her normal self. *'Mr. Condor' (Daniel Roebuck) is Dakota's father. He is the head of Condor Studios, So Random! and MacKenzie Falls's production company. His daughter used his status as such to get close to Chad. He is reputed to cancel the show of any actor that ticks him off, and once took a puppy from another person to give to his daughter. It is very clear that her doesn't know that his own daughter is bratty and manipulative and that she is in love with Chad. *'Brenda' (Wendy Worthington) is the cafeteria lady. She prefers MacKenzie Falls over So Random!. *'Lucy' (Eden Sher) is Sonny's best friend who lives in Wisconsin. She visits Sonny in the episode "Three's Not Company". *'Selena Gomez' guest stars as herself in one episode to play Sonny in Chad Dylan Cooper's movie. Sonny at first is starstruck, but eventually she and Chad get annoyed when Selena insists that the two like each other. Many jokes are made at the expense of Selena's character, Alex Russo from Wizards of Waverly Place. She's stated that she started in Camp Hip Hop which was a parody of Camp Rock in which Demi Lovato actually started. She phrased the sentence You got to send me to Camp Hip Hop, It's my dream, which is a sentence used in Camp Rock. Shows within the Show ''So Random! ''So Random! is the fictional TV sketch comedy show featured within Sonny With a Chance. This is similar to other kids' sketch television series such as All That and The Amanda Show or a child-oriented version of Saturday Night Live, in which cast members perform scripted comedy skits. So Random! skits featured in episodes of Sonny With a Chance often focus on absurd situations. Nico, Grady, Zora, Tawni, and Sonny, the five regular stars of So Random!, both perform and help to write and edit the show's skits. Disney has created a web site http://www.sorandom.com that reflects websites for other Disney shows. This was spun-off to it's own series after Lovato's departure. ''MacKenzie Falls'' "MacKenzie Falls'' is a fictional popular prime time soap aimed at tweens starring Chad Dylan Cooper. The only other known cast members are Portlyn and James Conroy, but James Conroy was only a guest star on MacKenzie Falls.http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/02/sonny-with-a-chance-review.html The show films on a soundstage adjacent to So Random!''http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2009/02/07/lovatos_charm_suits_sonny_role/ The Guardian describes ''MacKenzie Falls as "basically every adolescent soap from Dawson's Creek to Gossip Girl shoved into a blender".http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2009/feb/28/joss-whedon-dollhouse-danny-mcbride MacKenzie Falls far-fetched and confusing plots parody those of teen dramas and prompt Tawni to ask Chad, "What is your show even about?"Sonny With a Chance episode "Sonny With a Chance of Dating" Although a MacKenzie Falls episode has never been aired during Sonny With a Chance, the MacKenzie Falls season finale cliffhanger short is included as a bonus feature on the Season 1 DVD. A longstanding rivalry exists between the casts of MacKenzie Falls and So Random!. The cast of MacKenzie Falls often criticizes the cast of So Random! for being on a comedy show, claiming that they're not real actors. MacKenzie Falls cast members all exhibit snobbish behavior, and are afraid that So Random! will become more popular than MacKenzie Falls. Chad Dylan Cooper is the ring leader of the cast, and the other cast members follow his cues without question. The upscale MacKenzie Falls studio includes a chocolate fountain, gourmet snacks, massage room, and a meditation room for its actors. The studio cook enjoys MacKenzie Falls more than So Random! and therefore expresses favoritism for the former cast, demonstrated when she fed the MacKenzie Falls cast dishes such as steak and lobster and the So Random! cast dog food. Disney has created a web site http://www.mackenziefalls.com that reflects websites for other Disney shows. Characters listed along with Chad Dylan Cooper in MacKenzie Falls starring Devon who is jealous of his half-brother Mackenzie, Penelope the former love interest, Chloe a new girl who is not as rich as the others and so is hated by Penelope, and Mackenzie's best friend Trevor. Episodes Theme song and opening sequence The show's theme song "So Far, So Great", was written by Jeanne Lurie, Chen Neenan and Aristedis Archontis, who have each written songs for several artists on Disney-owned Hollywood Records, and is performed by series star Demi Lovato. The theme is of pop-rock style (the music cues composed by Danny Jacob, signaling scene changes and commercial breaks are styled similarly). A full-length version of this theme was released less than two months after the show's U.S. premiere and was released via the Radio Disney network on March 31, 2009. The theme song is also featured as a track on the Disney compilation album, Disney Channel Playlist, released by Walt Disney Records on June 9, 2009. It will also be available on Demi Lovato's sophomore album Here We Go Again, released by Hollywood Records on July 21, 2009. The opening sequence (which slides in from the bottom of the screen at the end of the teaser scene) begins with a shot of a ringing telephone, which Sonny picks up. After assumingly getting the call from Hollywood to appear on So Random!, she screams into phone, hangs up and quickly packs a suitcase. The background then suddenly changes from Sonny's bedroom to an airplane headed to California. It then shows Sonny in L.A. then showing shots of the other characters (Tawni, who does a quick shine of a star with her picture on it; Chad looking out the window in the back of a limousine; Grady and Nico messing around; and Zora, atop of a mechanical monster machine she is controlling). The sequence ends with the entire cast walking together then stopping and posing, which then switches to Sonny standing next to the show's title logo (which she knocks into place, timed exactly at the "yow" at the end of the theme). Reception Viewership Sonny with a Chance premiered on Disney Channel on February 8, 2009 with two back-to-back episodes, the first episode drew a total of 4.1 million viewers, the second earned 4 million viewers, earning a spot in A.C. Nielsen Media Research's top 15 cable TV shows. Demi Lovato's departure and So Random! It was announced on November 12, 2010 that the third season would begin production without Lovato, due to her recovering from health issues. The series would now focus on the sketch/comedy/music-variety show So Random!, centering on guest stars, sketches, digital shorts, and musical performances, a similar format to Saturday Night Live, but targeted at a much younger audience.Production of the third season began on January 30, 2011. On April 19, 2011, People.com reported that Demi Lovato would not be returning for the third season. As a result, the show would be renamed So Random! and focus only on the sketches rather than the behind-the-scenes antics. As a result of Lovato's departure from Sonny with a Chance, the series is the second Disney Channel original series to have its lead actor/actress leave during the series' run (after So Weird), and the fourth Disney Channel series to have a main cast member leave the series during its run (with That's So Raven and Jonas also included). The third season was then turned into its own new series based on its new format. Awards and Nominations *2009 - Teen Choice Awards - Choice TV Breakout Star (Female) - Demi Lovato (Won) *2009 - Australian Kids' Choice Awards - Favorite Comedy Show - Sonny with a Chance (Nominated) *2010 - Kids' Choice Awards - Favorite TV Show - Sonny with a Chance (Nominated) *2010 - Teen Choice Awards - Choice TV Show: Comedy - Sonny with a Chance (Nominated) *2010 - Teen Choice Awards - Choice TV Actress: Comedy - Demi Lovato (Nominated) *2010 - Teen Choice Awards - Choice TV Actor: Comedy - Sterling Knight (Nominated) DVD Releases Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has announced that it will release a compilation DVD of the show, "Sonny With A Chance: Sonny's Big Break", which is scheduled for release on August 25, 2009. The DVD will include a never before seen episode and Mackenzie Falls season finale short. References * External links *[http://tv.disney.go.com/disneychannel/sonnywithachance Sonny With a Chance official site] **[http://tv.disney.go.com/disneychannel/sonnywithachance/sorandom/ So Random! "official" site] **[http://tv.disney.go.com/disneychannel/sonnywithachance/mackenziefalls/ MacKenzie Falls "official" site] **[http://tv.disney.go.com/disneychannel/sonnywithachance/tweenweekly/ Tween Weekly "official" site] *[http://sonnywithachance.wikia.com/ Sonny With a Chance Wiki] at Wikia *IMDb profile * Category:Sonny With a Chance‏‎ Category:Disney Channel shows Category:Shows_with_wikis